Five months still remain between now and December’s early signing period for college football, but as of mid-summer, at least the Kansas football program’s 2019 recruiting class appears minuscule in comparison to most.

While seven Big 12 teams, according to Rivals, have at least 12 commitments lined up, the Jayhawks have received just two.

That number ranks not only last in KU’s 10-team conference — rival Kansas State currently stands in ninth, with six — but also last among the 100 FBS teams tracked by Rivals.

Buffalo and Washington State, with four commitments apiece, just outrank KU at the bottom.

Nevertheless, when asked directly earlier this week whether he was concerned at all right now about the state of KU’s 2019 recruiting class, head coach David Beaty began his reply with two words.

“Absolutely not.”

The Jayhawks, Beaty maintained, “could have a lot of commitments.”

Currently, though, the only recruits who have sent KU’s fourth-year coach and his staff nonbinding verbal pledges are four-star New Orleans quarterback Lance LeGendre and three-star Wichita tight end Clay Cundiff.

Why aren’t more rising high school seniors tied to KU football yet?

“We simply are making sure that we get the right ones. Your number to give and how many you get, when you get them, those are things that, being on the inside, you have some privilege that maybe when you’re not on the inside, that I simply can’t share, because there’s strategy involved,” Beaty said. “But right now, we feel really good about where we’re at, particularly with where our numbers are.”

While it stands to reason it may be more difficult to recruit players to KU with the public perception that Beaty’s job security took a hit when former athletic director Sheahon Zenger — who hired Beaty in 2014 and two years later extended the coach’s contract through the 2021 season — was fired in May, Beaty even balked at that notion.

“Our recruiting has not felt any different. The correspondence that we have had with the guys that we have on our radars has, if anything, it has increased,” the coach insisted. “But it has not taken a step back at all. If anything, I think it’s helped us moving forward. I think the kids feel the momentum going on right there, which is good.”

Just how many players end up committing to and signing with KU won’t be known for months. In the meantime, Jon Kirby, of Jayhawk Slant, said Kansas at least has the attention of some intriguing uncommitted prospects.

In June, Jaren Mangham, an in-demand four-star running back from Detroit, included KU on his updated list of nine finalists, along with Oregon, Colorado, Tennessee, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Texas, TCU and Arkansas.

Kirby said first-year KU receivers coach Justin “Juice” Johnson had led the team’s recruiting efforts with Mangham, who has eliminated such programs as Florida, Ole Miss, Florida State, Missouri and Texas from consideration.

Another compelling prospect from New Orleans, four-star cornerback Chester Kimbrough, is in good standing with KU, too, Kirby said.

Just like his Warren Easton High teammate, LeGendre, Kimbrough, you might expect, has been recruited by KU running backs coach Tony Hull, a New Orleans native and former head coach at Warren Easton.

Kansas' recruiting totals certainly aren’t on par with most college football programs for this time of year. But, as he is on most subjects, Beaty remains optimistic about the job he and his assistants have done on that front. The head coach stated he has worked his staffers “pretty hard,” as well.

“And there’s a reason why we do that. We’re committed to making sure we get things done the way they need to get done around here,” Beaty said. “So I take my hat off to our staff, because they busted their rear end.”

Scott Chases of 247sports has reported on AT LEAST 5 kids saying KU is their #1. We are taking commitments slowly to prevent last year’s cycle from happening. Everyone complained about that, now we have two and we’re trying to make a spectacle of it.

That number will increase at the pace David Beaty wants it to. At this point, we have to let that happen.

“We simply are making sure that we get the right ones. Your number to give and how many you get, when you get them, those are things that, being on the inside, you have some privilege that maybe when you’re not on the inside, that I simply can’t share, because there’s strategy involved,” Beaty said.

The most incoherent sentence I've ever read. Can't wait for this guy to be gone.

While seven Big 12 teams, according to Rivals, have at least 12 commitments lined up, the Jayhawks have received just two.

So according to DB Kansas only has 2 because they're doing their due diligence to make sure that they get the right ones? So the current 2 that we have are the only 2 that passed the high standards of David Beaty? Boy the teams with 12 must be sooooo desperate they are taking just anyone.

That number will increase at the pace David Beaty wants it to. At this point, we have to let that happen.~Cryson

Oh yeah sure, what an absolutely stupid statement, if 15 kids wanted to verbally commit tomorrow, Beaty would take them with open arms, if only 1 committed tomorrow he would take that as well, it's not up to Beaty its up to the kids who actually want to commit, and so far we have 2. So he has to sit and wait for the ones who actually want to come play for him.He doesn't cointrol the numbers the recruits who give their verbals do. It doesn't matter anyway whatever holes are left he will just fill in with Jucos and transfers anyway.

It is a telling sign when a kid won't even verbally commit to a school much less sign paper work. If I liked a school or a coach but that coach was in limbo, which Beaty is no way I would sign. You NEVER sign up because of a coach so if I really liked the school I would verbally commit and if something happens that I don't like I pull back my commitment.

All of these kids are waiting because there pitch is the same. Come to KU. It is a family. I will watch over your son like he is my own. Well what happens if I sign and that coach and his entire staff get canned? You are then at the mercy of the new HC and staff. Until KU gets consistency, a new coach or success on the field this has the potential to be a telling sign for the near future.

OK . I'm going to say that I have hung on to Coach Beaty , and I'll continue to pull for him. I think there are some here that just drool at the thought of feasting on him - - - -HOWEVER as much as I want him to be able to stick around and to prove that he can get things done , umm COACH when you make certain statements like you did here , the biggest of which I read was were making sure we are getting the right ones? - -Holy crap batman. - -you don't think that EVERY school are making sure they get the right ones in their recruiting? - -- you don't think ALL schools have a strategy a plan of attack with their recruiting Coach? Dam man you have got to give the few of your supporters -- the one's that actually do want to see you succeed - you got to give us something to work with , this sure the hell doesn't help when you make those kind of statements. - -Those remarks made even ME wonder - -what the hell is that? I wanna see Coach pull through this , I really like the guy , yet as a big of Coach Beaty guy that I am I just think he is in over his head. -I think we have to get out of this every 2-3-4 yrs of firing the Coach , you have to be able to get , have , achieve some kind of continuity , stability in the program. You are not going to be able to be able to recruit and or get to commit quality players if they aren't even sure that the Coach that they committed to will even be there the following year or not. - -This can't continue to happen and expect success. - Yet we have to have some results on the filed to keep that from happening. So again I like Coach but if we have to let yet ANOTHER Coach go , then we sure the hell better make dam sure to take our time for sure-- - and find the very best available Coach that's willing to go on a suicide run and really Commit. So we can put a stop to this revolving door BS

I don't believe Beaty on this one bit. If he were honest he'd say "the last three years have been tough going 3-33 and with a new AD my job is in question. So, we haven't had the commits we've hoped to see at this point. But if the team sees progress then I can see this number going up quickly." Here's the deal, Beaty has been a pretty good recruiter for what he was handed. There's no denying that. But I don't believe one bit that only having two recruits is a strategy. At some point Beaty has to be accountable and admit his flaws so he can get better. Making up asinine stories won't back the media or fans off if that's his concern. Be honest and keep working. If he's done it right we'll see it on the field and with recruiting. But if not he simply won't have a job by Christmas and the next coach will have some major work to do.

between his nonchalant attitude over over a 2 player recruiting class and his not wanting to put a win total expectation on this upcoming season, I really think he expects to be fired..possibly even before the season starts

I seriously seriously hope he is for sure NOT fired before the beginning of the season. All that will accomplish at this point is still more instability then it already at , that will keep recruits from committing - very good chance of more defections, driving off possibly some players that could play a very big part in turning this around examples being possibly Pooka Wiliams - -and even though he hasn't signed yet the 4 star QB - and others that could actually help get this dam thing turned around. - -No I do not want to see him fired before the start of the season. You wanna fire him - fine - understand - like I said in my other comment , I like Coach Beaty I just think he is in over his head, the program is in just bad shape presently and gonna take years to get back - but firing him before this Season starts can only cause more major headache

I think a change should happen as soon as the new AD opens his office door. The current status of the football team is in utter discombobulation. The undisciplined nature of this team compounds all of the issues surrounding it and speaks to the 3-33 record. With the state of KU football as it is, there is no time like the present to make a change. What could it hurt?? If the right decision is made in the hire, there should be no reason for defections and/or lost commits. Hell, there's only 2 commits right now. And, isn't this why the a new AD was hired? Fire Beaty now and move on to better days!